Letters

I was surprised to find out that the Betsy Ross flag is not an official flag of the United States. The case for the Betsy Ross flag’s legitimacy is one of inter-meshing legends — and it begins in Bridgehampton.

Bridgehampton had a militia in 1775. John Hulbert, its leader, recruited 68 men. Congress ordered him to escort the British prisoners taken in the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga to Philadelphia, the Continental capital. Hulbert found himself in Philadelphia in late October or early November 1775.

Hulbert’s flag had 13 six-pointed stars in a blue field, six stripes deep, in a diamond shaped pattern (1-3-5-3-1), with 13 alternating red and white stripes. Hulbert brought his flag with him to identify himself. Congressman Francis Hopkinson made a sketch of Hulbert’s flag.

In 1775, Congress was considering naval operations. Unable to raise funds through taxation, it had to rely on privateering as one source of revenue. Privateers need permission documents and national colors, or flags — in this case, American flags. This is the end of Legend A.

Legend B begins with Francis Hopkinson, two other congressmen and George Washington visiting Betsy Ross in Philadelphia. Hopkinson brought his sketch of Hulbert’s flag with him. Could she duplicate it? She demonstrated with a single snip of the scissors that she could fashion a five-pointed star quicker than a six-pointer.

The group debated the arrangement of the stars. Ms. Ross proposed a circular pattern as a compromise. To accommodate the circular field of stars, the blue field should be expanded from six to seven stripes deep. Agreed by all. This is the end of Legend B.

Legend B, by itself, makes little sense without Legend A. Together with Legend A, questions of the origin of the six-pointed stars, a seven-stripe-deep blue field and the iconic circular pattern of 13 stars are all answered. Except for the pattern of the stars, the changes remain to this day.

To me, Betsy Ross is “American Flag 1.0.” The Hulbert flag is its worthy template.

Hopkinson’s Flag Resolution of June 14, 1777, describes stars and stripes and the colors of the American flag. A “constellation of stars” allows any pattern and bars none.

Millions of Betsy Ross flags are sold each year. Can we make “Betsy” legit? An executive order would do the job, but, as Congressman Nick LaLota opined recently, bipartisan legislation is far more “durable.” Can we do this?

The historical treasure of the Hulbert flag resides in the Suffolk County Historical Society in Riverhead. As with anything 250 years old, it could use some TLC.

A French woman observed to me, “The British have their royal family — you Americans have your flag.” Agreed! It’s our symbol of unity.

Bruce C. Doscher

Hampton Bays

The website of the Suffolk County Historical Society Museum notes: “The flag has been examined by a number of experts who remain divided over the oral tradition of the flag’s origins” — Ed.